Total Book Geek: Elle Kennedy

She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy...

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.

...and it’s going to be oh so good.

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn't take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn't going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

This is one of those books where I almost don't want to explain why you should read it. Meaning, you should just trust me, read it and I know you'll love it too.

The Deal was my first book by Elle Kennedy and it certainly won't be my last. I already want more of these hockey players and all the other fantastic characters.

While the premise is pretty cliché, the non-popular girl and the star player, Elle Kennedy still manages to make it original. I love it when stories like these can take me by surprise. By now you'd think I have almost read of all it, all the variations. The ending on its own is of course no big surprise, I mean we're all rooting for a happily ever after. But the characters and the journey they undertake is what kept me turning the pages.

Sometimes New Adult can be a bit too angsty for me and characters are so wrapped up in their own head, that they miss what is out there or right in front of their face. This was not the case here. Both Garrett and Hannah have some demons from their past, but they are not crippled by it. They've already dealt with those issues a lot, and they won't let what happened dictate their lives. Quite the opposite, they are both fighters and not afraid to live their lives the way they want it.

I admire Hannah so much. What she has gone through is every girl's nightmare, but throughout the years she has managed to give it a place in her life and not let fear rule it. She's strong, confident, and witty. Except crushing on some guy, who doesn't even notice her, her life is going great. When Garrett first offered to help her out, in exchange for some tutoring, she wasn't very excited about it. Honestly at first Hannah doesn't want to have anything to do with the hockey player. It was actually surprising how she wasn't afraid to tell Garrett off, when she could barely utter two words to her crush. In the end though she relents, and that was only the beginning when it came to Garrett.

Garrett has his own issues, in a way they are more hidden, and he's so focused on other things that those issues are a thing from the past. Hockey is his life, and girls are the entertainment. But when failing an exam jeopardizes his future, he's not one to give up and having Hannah tutor him is the only solution. I liked that Garrett admitted that before needing her, he had no clue who she was, but now he's actually very upfront about what he thinks of her.

The dynamic between these two was so much fun to read about. They are constantly on each other's case, Garrett is all about the sexual innuendos, and Hannah can be so sarcastic. Seriously these two are a hoot. There is certainly a physical attraction in the beginning. Hannah is no fool, and does realizes how hot Garrett is. While Garrett loves the ladies, and since Hannah is a lady, he likes her. From a reluctant partnership, it grows into a friendship and then so much more.

Even when there is big drama, it's still so reasonable. Hannah and Garrett felt so real to me. Two people who I wouldn't mind hanging out with, it would be so much fun. Garrett's teammates are a blast and Hannah's friends are hilarious. Therefore I can not wait to read more about them. I'm really hoping that Logan, Garrett's best friend, gets his own story. That guy deserves his own girl.

All in all I loved The Deal. Characters were amazing, the humor was on point, not too much heavy drama, and the sexy times were off the charts. This to me makes a pretty perfect new adult romance novel.

4.5

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The Author

A RITA-award nominated author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle currently publishes with Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Harlequin Blaze, Samhain Publishing, and NAL. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

Connect with Elle Kennedy:

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads

After watching his teammates settle down one by one, Navy SEAL Jackson Ramsey is ready to say goodbye to the single life. He’s even met a woman who intrigues him, challenges him, and turns him right on—Mia Weldrick, the funny and beautiful gardener he can’t wait to get to know better.

Except Mia isn’t interested in dating him, which means it’s time for Jackson to unleash his Texas charm and do some serious wooing.

With a teenage brother to raise, two jobs, and, frankly, a complete disinterest in sex, Mia has no room in her busy life for a six-foot-five SEAL with a naughty streak a mile wide. But one hot kiss from Jackson has her imagining all the dirty ways she could fit him in.

It isn’t long before their no-string fling transforms into something more. As desire unearths emotions and deeply buried secrets, Mia has to decide whether to give love a chance to grow, or let it slip it away.

Warning: This Southern gentleman is wickedly ungentlemanly in the bedroom. He likes it rough and kinky, and he’s not afraid to make his sexual demands known. Anal, spanking, voyeurism, and other surprises await you in this last and dirtiest Out of Uniform installment.

Review

I think this is the first time I came across a Navy SEAL who wants to settle down. Usually they are all for keeping it light and fun, but not Jackson Ramsey. Blame it on his small town roots or whatever, the man wants a woman for life and he wants her now. After getting set up on too many disastrous blind dates by his friends, he accidentally finds Mia in his neighbour's lawn.

Immediately intrigued by this short, beautiful and spunky lady, he wants to get to know her better, except she turns him down. Mia does not have time to date, between working two jobs and raising her younger brother, her days are filled up. Jackson is not one to take no for an answer. He wants her, so he will get her and quitting is not in a Navy SEAL's dictionary.

What starts as one date, easily turns into two and so on. Before they know it things get serious fast and Mia does not know if she's ready for that. Somehow she's afraid she is like her mom, who is now on husband number ten. Totally ridiculous excuses is what I believe, though that does not make the fear any less. She will need to let go of her negative believes and give Jackson a real chance.

Somehow I always skip the warning that authors post concerning their books. So I was expecting the more regular smexy scenes and completely didn't saw the dominant kinky scenes coming until they were already happening. That took me quite by surprise, though not necessarily in a bad way. This was the first book I've read by Elle Kennedy, but from the other characters in the book I can already see that traditional is not her way to go.

I really liked Mia, she was really witty and that added a lot of humour in the book. Her uncertainties were at times a bit annoying, because to me they were unfounded and it all put a drag on her relationship with Jackson. Danny her younger brother is totally adorable and such a typical sixteen-year-old. The interactions/quibbling between the two siblings came across as very real.

Now Jackson seems like an easy going, relaxed kind of guy, which is very misleading. The guy definitely needs to be in control, though it is a side of him he has very much kept hidden from his friends and normally takes time before he shows his lovers. When it comes to Mia though, there is no holding back.

The overall plot in the book was a bit lacking. There was all this drama from Mia and Danny's mom, she just left Danny on Mia's doorstep two years ago and never came back. It seems now she wants to get in touch again, but you can smell the lies from miles away. So that was very predictable. Then there is also Jackson family. He is from a small town and when he was younger there was an incident. Since then everyone there knows what he is in to and he gets judged for it a lot. That has more to do with being conservative and prejudice, still it this all did not really draw me in.

I don't mind certain scenes, even if they get freaky, but I don't need them to happen every chapter. That is an exaggeration, though there were just too many scenes for me. The focus was too much on that and I would have liked to've seen more effort put into the plot instead.

As Hot As It Gets has fun characters, with interesting stories, a bit of an underdeveloped plot and plenty of hot scenes. It will definitely warm you up on a cold night.